Mira's P.O.V.

Mira hopped off the operating table, examining the bandaging on her shoulder. She turned to the medical droid, uttering a quick "Thank you" before exiting the room.

It's a good thing we have Senator Organa looking out for us.

When Kenobi had called for help, Organa had been the one to pick up the signal. Apparently clones all over the galaxy were turning against their Jedi leaders, and as of yet there was no explanation as to why.

I hope we can find other Jedi before it's too late.

She wandered into the hall, venturing through Organa's ship in search of her fellow Jedi. Master Yoda had also survived the recent strange events, which Mira had been immensely grateful for.

If we had lost our Grand Master, there's no telling just how severe the chaos might have been.

She heard voices presently, tipping her off to the Jedi's presence. She turned down another corridor to find Organa, Kenobi, and Yoda all standing in a semicircle with drawn faces.

"Master Kenobi. Master Yoda," Mira addressed her superiors, "Has there been word from any other survivors yet?"

Bail stepped forward, "I'm afraid not."

"We've discovered an encrypted message coming from the Jedi Temple," Kenobi said, "It tells any surviving Jedi to return there at once, but it's most certainly a trap."

"Then we must find some way to intercept the remaining Jedi before they get there," Mira insisted.

"Go to the Jedi Temple, Kenobi says we must," Master Yoda said, "To dismantle the coded message."

Mira glanced at Kenobi with wide eyes before turning back to the Grand Master.

"And what do you say, Master Yoda?"

"Agree with him, I do."

"But...won't it be terribly dangerous?"

"I saw thousands of troops attacking the Jedi Temple," Bail cut in, obviously doubtful, "It will be no easy task to enter it."

"Do whatever we can to help the surviving Jedi, we must," Yoda said gravely.

Kenobi turned his worried gaze on Mira.

"Are you up for it?" he asked.

Mira nodded, "Of course, Master."

Force help us.

Rain's P.O.V.

Rain didn't like the planet of Mustafar. The eerie glow of lava as she and Grievous had descended toward the dark, lifeless planet was enough to make her uneasy. The room they were standing in wasn't particularly comforting either. Its leaden walls seemed to swallow what little light there was, and considering that most of the light came from the holoprojectors in the center of the room, the effect was very unsettling.

The assassin surveyed the masked guards posted at the exit. Quite frankly, they made her uneasy too.

I swear, they haven't moved once since we got here. Are they real or statues?

"You have done a fine job of losing us this war, General," the Viceroy complained.

Rain suppressed a sigh. The Neimoidian had hardly left well enough alone since she and Grievous had arrived.

Can't he give it a rest?

"Perhaps you are volunteering your services as General?" Grievous hissed.

The Neimoidian harrumphed, "Don't be ridiculous! Besides, thanks to your efforts, there is no army left to lead. It is fortunate we have Lord Sidious' wisdom to rely on. Had things been left to you, we would have been ruined long ago!"

Grievous uttered a wordless snarl, raising a hand to strike to Viceroy. Gunray flinched, waiting for the blow to land, but at the last second, the General seemed to decide against it.

"Consider yourself fortunate, Viceroy, that I am as gracious as I am. Do not forget it was Sidious' closest confidant Count Dooku who appointed me leader of the Confederate army."

There is some serious name dropping going on here...

A beeping sound caught the ears of everyone in the room, announcing an incoming transmission. Grievous moved to the nearest holoprojector, admitting the call. An image of the hooded Sith Lord flickered to life. The General swept a surprisingly elegant bow.

"Lord Sidious," he said, rising.

"General, I trust the council is safe?"

Gunray stepped forward, "We are, my Lord. The plan has gone as you had promised."

Rain cocked a quizzical eyebrow.

Plan? What plan?

"You have done well, Viceroy. When my new apprentice Darth Vader arrives, he will take care of you."

New apprentice?

Rain's stomach twisted into a knot.

He certainly didn't waste any time.

"My Lord, there is no need to send this new apprentice of yours," Grievous cut in, "I assure the council is quite safe under my care."

Viceroy looked like he wanted to protest but he said nothing, and in the end, he didn't need to.

"Are you questioning my orders, General?" Sidious demanded, a cold threat hiding beneath his words.

Grievous seemed to hesitate.

"No, my lord."

"Good."

The hologram flickered out, leaving silence in its wake. The General seemed deflated, and as much as Rain hated to admit it, she was actually concerned for him.

After all, what good is a General if he has no army to lead?

Mira's P.O.V.

Mira swung hard, slashing a clone across the chest and leaving a searing mark. The trooper fell dead at her feet. She looked down at him, feeling sorrowful at the thought that not long ago he had been an ally.

If I'd known him, we might have even been friends.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face Kenobi. She could see the worry in his eyes and it just made her feel worse. She didn't want him worrying about her. There was already far too much to worry about. Mira tried to put on a brave face.

"I'm all right."

She looked around at the squad of clones now lying slaughtered on the steps of the Jedi Temple. Thankfully, there hadn't been as many as was originally thought, since Chancellor Palpatine—or Sith Lord Sidious, as Mira had been shocked to learn—had organized a special session of Congress. Organa had received the transmission while they were approaching Coruscant. At first, they had thought it was a trap, but Master Kenobi had pointed out that Palpatine wouldn't be able to maintain control over the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact.

Mira mounted the steps of the Temple, feeling herself sinking deeper into depression at the thought of what had once been her home being desecrated.

This was Rain's home too once.

She pushed the thought away, starting down the massive hall with her two Jedi Masters at her side. She could see the unmoving forms scattered everywhere and a sudden wave of nausea hit her. She clamped a hand over her mouth, feeling the sting of tears. The trio halted, gazing down at a handful of padawans lying at their feet.

"Not even the younglings survived," Kenobi said.

"Killed not by clones," Yoda said haltingly, "This padawan, by a lightsaber he was."

Kenobi stared at Yoda in disbelief, kneeling down to examine the bodies closer.

"Who could have done this?" he breathed.

Mira's thoughts echoed his words.

So not only the clones have turned against us, but our own as well?

The sickening thought hit her and before she knew it her feet were carrying her at a dead run toward her Master's chambers. She heard Kenobi shout her name, but it sounded distant and strange, as though someone had plunged her head under water. She kept running till she reached her destination, sliding to a halt, the polished floor squeaking beneath her boots. She stood there, breathing heavily, her eyes fixed on the figure slumped across the floor.

"No."

She hardly recognized her own voice. Mira stepped into the room, inching nearer to the unmoving form. It was facing away from her, its long lekku draped along its shoulders and back.

"No, no, no."

The padawan was finding it hard to breathe. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. As she stepped around the corpse, she saw the empty eyes of Shaak Ti stretched wide, staring endlessly at a spot on the wall.

"Nooooooo."

Her words turned to violent sobbing. Mira knelt down, rocking back and forth. She hardly knew how long it had been before the tears began to slow, replaced by a curious numbness. She reached down, brushing a hand over Ti's face and letting the Togruta's eyelids close forever. Then she drew a shuddering breath.

"Goodbye, Master. I pray your rest will be peaceful."

She rose, taking slow strides back the way she had come. She watched the ornate floor passing beneath her feet, a haze hanging over her.

I knew one day I'd have to let her go, I just never imagined it would be like this.

Her thoughts turned to Rain for the briefest of moments, but Mira was quick to stifle the idea.

She discovered Kenobi and Yoda in the central security station. At the sight of her tearstained face, Mira saw the worried light return to Kenobi's eyes. Yoda seemed to sense at once what was wrong.

"Find your Master, did you?" he asked.

"Yes, Master."

"Hmm. A difficult loss this must be for you. Lost too many good comrades, we have."

Kenobi stepped forward.

"I have recalibrated the code, warning all surviving Jedi to stay away. But...I'm afraid I cannot leave yet. There is something I must know."

Mira watched carefully as Kenobi descended a set of stairs on her right. Yoda guessed his intent almost immediately.

"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find."

Kenobi bent down, triggering the holorecordings.

"I must know the truth, Master," he insisted.

Two figures sprang to life on the hologram, both draped in long hoods. Kenobi advanced the footage, stopping on an image of an armed Jedi attacking the younglings they had come across in the hall. Mira recognized him instantaneously. After all, he was very well known among the Jedi ranks.

"It can't be," Kenobi murmured, "It can't be."

Anakin Skywalker. No...how could he do such a thing? Wasn't he the one destined to bring us peace?

Kenobi snapped a hand out, cutting off the recording.

"I can't watch anymore," he said, his voice trembling.

This must be so painful for him. He and Skywalker always seemed so close.

Mira longed to comfort him in some way, but she just stood there, staring at the toes of her boots.

"Destroy the Sith, we must," Yoda said.

Kenobi crossed to him.

"Send me to kill the Emperor," he begged, "I will not kill Anakin."

"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough you are not," Master Yoda insisted.

"He is like my brother," Kenobi persisted, "I cannot do it."

"Twisted by the dark side young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone, he is."

I will not think of her. I will not.

"I do not know where the Emperor has sent him," Kenobi said quietly, "I don't know where to look."

"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him you will."

With that, Yoda turned away, hobbling off down the hall. Mira lifted her gaze, finding Kenobi's face.

"Master, let me go with you. I can help you."

Kenobi turned mournful eyes on her.

"I cannot ask it of you."

"You needn't ask. I want to help. I...I don't know what else to do."

"You can go somewhere safe. You can go back to Organa's ship."

"No! Please don't send me to the sidelines, Master. I couldn't forgive myself if I abandoned you now. Please."

Kenobi regarded her silently, then turned away.

"Very well," he relented, his voice hardly more than a whisper.

Mira uttered a grateful sigh, "Thank you, Master."

Rain's P.O.V.

"General?"

A pair of golden reptilian eyes turned in Rain's direction. The assassin edged a little closer to her superior, pausing to glance across the room at the council before lowering her voice.

"I assume you're privy to the plan Gunray mentioned? Might I be informed of the proceedings?"

Grievous narrowed his eyes at her, straightening slightly. A long silence followed, but his gaze never left her. Rain shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, letting her eyes wander.

I guess that's a 'no' to the first question?

If the General planned on ever giving her an answer, he never got the chance. The main entrance flew open and a hooded figure stepped into the room, his cowl shadowing his face. Everyone turned in his direction, and Gunray promptly advanced to greet the newcomer.

"Lord Vader," he said, "We've been expecting you."

Vader did not return the greeting. Instead, he lifted a hand and the exits one by one began to close off.

I have a BAD feeling about this.

Rain's hands subconsciously gravitated toward her dual sabers, the warning bells sounding at the back of her mind. She reached out with the force, probing the stranger's mind. A gasp escaped her lips as she realized that this Vader was no stranger at all.

It can't be. This is a trick, a trap. It doesn't add up.

Vader whipped out a cyan lightsaber, prompting the guards flanking the door to spring into action.

"What is this?" Grievous rasped.

Gunray stumbled back with a cry of alarm. The other council members likewise uttered exclamations of surprise and scattered to the exits in an attempt to escape the nightmarish situation.

That's not going to work.

The council soon realized it. By then, Vader had struck down the guards and was moving straight toward Rain and Grievous. Rain was already standing at the ready, the General igniting his last two remaining lightsabers. Vader's blue smashed against Rain's crimson, his face pressing close to hers. There was no mistaking that fighting style, that scar, those eyes.

Anakin Skywalker. What the hell are you doing?

Rain folded under the pressure, sliding between Skywalker's legs and springing to her feet again. Grievous interlocked his blades with Vader's, Rain slashing at him from behind. Before she could land a hit, a boot struck her full in the gut, slamming her backward. The air rushed out of her lungs as she crashed onto a control panel, an alarm ringing in her ears.

What's that?

She pushed herself to her feet, gasping for air. A glance at the panel showed a flashing red light.

That can't be good.

But she had no time to figure out how to fix the problem, whatever it was. Anakin had sidelined Grievous, darting around him and barrelling toward the Separatist council. Rain heard Gunray shriek just before his head went rolling across the floor. The other council members scurried away, pressing themselves into corners and subsequently trapping themselves. Vader cut down one, then another. Then Grievous had caught up to him, drawing his attention with an intersecting sweep of his lightsabers. Vader ducked, but Grievous was ready when he came back up. He swung hard and fast, knocking Anakin's weapon from his grasp and fastening a clawed hand around his throat. Anakin was lifted off the ground, kicking and writhing.

"Who do you serve?" Grievous demanded, punctuating the query with a cough.

Anakin eyes burned yellow, a furious hatred spilling out of them.

"I serve the New Galactic Empire!"

Rain saw it coming before it even happened. By the time Skywalker had his lightsaber back in his hand, she was at the General's side, trapping the blade between her own. Grievous uttered an angry shout, hurling Anakin across the room. He landed on top of a startled councilman who got a quick stab through the gut once Vader had struggled back to his feet. Rain approached the enemy warily, her dual sabers clutched tightly in her hands.

"And who rules this Galactic Empire?" she asked sharply.

"I will, very soon, I imagine," Anakin said darkly, twirling his lightsaber.

"We will see about that," Grievous cut in.

He charged past Rain, striking a downward blow which Anakin parried. Rain spun on her heel, turning her attention to the council members.

I need to get them out.

She sprinted to the nearest exit, plunging one saber through it and cutting a circle in its center. She waved to the frenzied humanoids, but their panicked state seemed to prevent them from catching on to her intent. With an exasperated noise, Rain grabbed the nearest councilman and shoved him through the opening she had created. The rest promptly fell in line. Then Rain heard a loud clang, her head swivelling toward the sound. Grievous was crouched on all fours, his double-jointed limbs raised above his back like a spider's. Anakin, meanwhile, was barrelling straight at Rain. She slashed at him, then realized last second that she wasn't his intended target. Vader felled two councilmen in one strike, wheeling around to aim a precise blow through Rain's makeshift exit. He caught the poor soul trying to climb through before Rain could intervene.

They're dropping like flies.

Rain shifted from Form II into Form VII, sacrificing her controlled strikes for a much more aggressive attack. She channelled the force into her blows, hitting harder and faster. It gained her some ground, but Anakin's offensive was just as fierce. The General swooped in, aiming for Vader's exposed side but Skywalker ducked away at the last second. Skirting around Grievous, he leapt onto the closest holoprojector, using it as a stepstone to vault to the next one, and the next until he reached the far exit. With a wave of his hand it flew open and he ran through, Grievous and Rain dogging him. A flurry of lightsabers ensued in the hallway, the sparks flying so thick that Rain could hardly see. A warning bell sounded in her mind and she ducked, feeling intense heat passing within an inch of her. She had no idea whose lightsaber it had been. Another rain of blows, some dodges and parries, then they were out in the open, the eerie glow of lava illuminating the scenery. They all pulled back for a second, seemingly catching their breath. Then, before they could leap back into action, the hum of an engine caught all ears, turning the heads in the direction of the noise. A gleaming silver ship with a wide wingspan was touching down on the landing platform, just a few meters from where they stood. They all waited in anticipation as the ramp began to lower. A woman appeared, her face twisted in concern, a blaster clutched tightly in her hand. It took Rain a moment to recognize Padme Amidala, but the bulge in the Senator's abdominal section was unmistakable.

She's...pregnant?!

"Ani!"

Padme raced down the ramp, aiming her blaster at Grievous and the assassin. Rain's blade whipped upward, catching the shots.

"Whoa, hey!" she shouted, "We don't want to fight a pregnant lady!"

She glanced at the General to assure herself he was on the same page. Judging by the look in his eyes, he didn't seem entirely convinced that attacking the Senator was such a bad idea, but he stayed put. Rain uttered a breath of relief.

That could've gotten messy.

Padme rushed to Anakin's side, pressing close to him.

"Anakin."

Vader slipped one arm around her, keeping one eye on his opponents.

"What are you doing here?" he queried.

"I was so worried about you," the Senator replied, "Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

Anakin turned his full attention on Padme.

"What things?"

"He said you've turned to the dark side," she answered brokenly, "That you...killed younglings."

Rain chanced a step closer, Grievous moving away from her and slowly beginning to circle his target. Anakin's head snapped up, his lightsaber raised threateningly. Rain hardly cared about the fight anymore; she wanted to see how this conversation would end.

"Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me," Vader said quietly, his gaze still fixed on his enemy.

Rain saw that his eyes had faded back to their natural blue, but the burning yellow she had seen before was still stamped on her mind.

He's lying. He HAS turned to the dark side.

She almost laughed out loud. The irony was delicious. The Order's precious Chosen One joining the enemy.

Just not the enemy either of us would have thought. So who does he serve?

"He cares about us," Padme was saying.

"Us?" Anakin echoed, a dangerous strain underlying his tone.

"He knows," she said.

Knows what?

Rain's gaze switched from Anakin to Padme, then back again. Reaching out with the force, she touched their conscious minds with her own, and everything became clear.

This time she did laugh out loud.

Padme and Anakin both turned in her direction. Rain took another step closer.

"Really, Skywalker?" she said between giggles, "You and a Senator?"

It makes sense, doesn't it? she thought, The way he reacted when he learned Bane and I were holding Amidala hostage on Coruscant. How long has this been going on?

She eyed Padme's bulging tummy, still laughing.

My guess would be quite a while.

"I'm sure Kenobi was thrilled about your news," Rain said sardonically, "Congratulations."

"Shut up!" Skywalker hissed.

By then, Grievous had almost slipped into Vader's blind spot but Anakin had been watching the General from the corner of his eye. He stepped away, moving into a more advantageous position while holding Padme close, his lightsaber still at the ready.

"He wants to help us, Anakin," the Senator insisted, ignoring Rain's comments.

Anakin didn't seem convinced.

"Please," Padme pleaded, "All I want is your love."

"Love won't save you, Padme," Anakin said, "Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost?" Padme asked desperately, "You're a good person. Don't do this."

I wonder, Rain thought dejectedly, If there was anyone who really cared about me among the Jedi, would this have been the speech they'd give me? Would this have been the speech Mira would've given me had she had the chance? Well, I certainly learned the cost of my actions. I wonder if Skywalker's happy in his choice, if he knows something I didn't.

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother," Anakin said suddenly.

Rain's brows furrowed.

Mother?

"I'm becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of," Vader continued, "And I'm doing it for you, to protect you."

How romantic.

Padme pressed closer still, pulling at Anakin's cloak.

"Come away with me," she murmured, "Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can!"

Anakin was having none of it.

"Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy, make things the way we want them to be!"

The realization hit Rain like a ton of bricks.

The Chancellor? Surely he's not behind all this.

She remembered the amiable Chancellor chatting with her in the Senate building. Then an image of the seemingly frail, cowled Sidious popped into her mind.

It can't be.

But the pointed nose, the sharp blue eyes, the withered human hands, they all matched.

There was a Sith Lord hiding under the Jedi's noses this whole time, and they never noticed?

It might have been funny to her under certain circumstances, but all Rain felt was anger.

So he was playing one side against the other for the entire war like some stupid Dejarik game? For THREE YEARS?!

Her grip tightened on her dual sabers, her knuckles turning white. She took another step.

So that's why Anakin is here. Sidious means to wipe out the Separatists and turn the Republic into his Empire. How could the Jedi allow such a thing? HOW COULD THEY BE SO BLIND?!

"Don't be so ambitious, Ani," she spat.

Anakin glowered at her but said nothing. His attention was fixed on Padme. The Senator seemed stunned by his answer. She pulled away from his embrace, shaking her head.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," she said, "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

"I don't want to hear anymore about Obi-Wan," Vader snapped.

Rain had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She took another step. Grievous closed in from the other side, wheezing slightly.

"The Jedi turned against me," Vader continued, "Don't you turn against me."

When Padme spoke, she was on the verge of tears, "I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow."

"Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done! What you plan to do! Stop! Stop now! Come back! I love you!"

But Anakin was no longer looking at Padme. His gaze had shifted past her to the lowered ramp of her ship. There stood the last two people Rain would've expected to see in that moment: Obi-Wan Kenobi, and her little sister. The assassin stared in utter shock, her guard falling in an instant. Mira's gaze found hers and held it, an unreadable expression on her face.

"LIAR!"

Rain's attention snapped back to Anakin. Padme seemed just as shocked as everyone else to see the two Jedi emerging from her ship.

"No!" she cried.

"You're with them!" Anakin accused, "You brought them here to kill me!"

"No!" Padme wailed.

But Anakin wasn't listening. He lifted a hand, his fingers bent like claws. The Senator's hands flew to her throat as she struggled to breathe.

"Let her go, Anakin!"

"Senator!"

"Stop it!"

Horror flooded through Rain, horror at what Anakin was doing to the woman he loved and to his own baby. She reacted instantly, tapping into the force and slamming Anakin sideways. He hit the ground, his concentration broken. Padme crumpled like wet paper, unconscious. Rain raced to her side, but Mira reached the Senator first, igniting her weapon and bearing it in a silent warning for Rain to maintain her distance. Rain stared at her little sister in shock.

I'm not the bad guy here!

"Mira!" she said sharply.

Mira said nothing. Anakin had clambered to his feet and was facing off Kenobi, now slowly descending the ramp. Grievous' attention was also unwaveringly fixed on the Jedi Master.

"You turned her against me!" Anakin shouted at his former teacher.

"You have done that yourself," Obi-Wan countered.

Anakin started to pace like a caged animal, his eyes taking on their yellow glow.

"You will not take her from me!" he screamed.

"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that," Kenobi said, shrugging off his cloak, "You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy."

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do."

Rain stared at the newly proclaimed Vader, her face twisted in shock.

I sounded just like him...just like him. Is this what I might have become?

She turned back to her sister to find Mira's gaze trained on her face. She couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light, but she thought she saw tears in her twin's eyes.

"I have brought peace!" Vader rambled on, "Freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire!"

"Your new Empire?" Obi-Wan echoed incredulously.

"Don't make me kill you," Anakin hissed.

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!" Kenobi shouted.

"If you're not with me, then you're my enemy," Anakin concluded.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes," Kenobi said, sounding resigned, "I will do what I must."

He drew his lightsaber. Anakin raised his.

"You will try," he said.

He sprang at Kenobi, his lightsaber arcing downward. As their blades clashed in a burst of bright blue, Rain raced forward, slashing at Vader's exposed side. He knocked her away with a jarring blow before striking at Kenobi again. By then, Grievous had joined the scene. Effortlessly hauling Anakin off his feet, he flung him across the platform, then turned on his old archnemesis.

"I am most regretful for my interruption," he said, "But the pleasure of killing you shall be mine, Kenobi."

"I don't have time for you," Kenobi answered brusquely.

With a flick of his wrist he sent Grievous soaring backward. The General landed with an ear shattering crash which made Rain wince.

That didn't end very well...

But she had no time to dwell on it. Mira came running at her, lightsaber swinging.

"Mira, stop!"

Her little sister ignored her, swiping at her with a vicious shout. Rain ducked, stumbling backward.

"Mira!"

She dodged another swipe, noting the fierce determination in Mira's face.

How am I supposed to reason with her when she won't even talk to me?!

But she wasn't about to give up so easily.

"I'm not your enemy!" she insisted, "Please listen to me!"

She felt a wall against her back and ducked to the right, watching as Mira plunged her lightsaber into the metal structure.

She's trying to kill me, Rain thought, stunned, She's actually trying to kill me.

She stepped back, coming up against another solid form, but this one wasn't a wall. Grievous' emerald saber sliced through the air in front of Rain, Mira parrying the blow at the last second.

"General, no!" Rain protested.

Tapping into the force, she pushed her sister back, placing her beyond the cyborg's reach.

"It's Mira!" she cried, turning to face him, "It's my sister!"

"She is the enemy!" Grievous rasped.

"Don't you get it? We were played! Sidious played us!"

The golden eyes shifted to something beyond Rain and she turned to find Mira charging her again. She sidestepped her sister's attack, surprised to find that Grievous had already abandoned her in an attempt to reinsert himself into Kenobi and Vader's duel.

What is he thinking? Kenobi isn't our enemy! The Jedi, the clones, the Separatists, we were all used!

Mira slashed at her, the heat from her lightsaber touching Rain's skin. She kept on yielding ground, glancing repeatedly backward to ensure that she wasn't headed straight for a roiling lake of lava. She saw a catwalk fast approaching her and stepped onto it, casting a worried look at the raging magma below. Mira followed, undeterred. She didn't even seem to notice the fiery death waiting to swallow her up in case she fell. She swung at Rain, again and again and again, growing increasingly frustrated all the while.

"You don't need to do this!" Rain said.

"Shut up!" Mira shrieked, startling Rain, "Why won't you attack back already?!"

Rain paused, swallowing hard. Then, slowly, cautiously, she hooked her dual sabers back onto her belt.

"I'm not going to fight my sister," she said softly.

Mira screamed, hacking wildly, her years of training abandoning her all at once.

"Why not?!" she yelled, "You made your choice! Attack me!"

Rain leapt onto the railing, prompting Mira to sever the metal bar in a blink. She stepped back, struggling to maintain her balance. As Mira struck again, Rain leapfrogged to the opposite rail. Suddenly the whole catwalk shuddered, throwing Rain off balance. She tumbled onto the bridge while Mira clutched at the parapet.

What the?

Mira found her footing again, bringing her lightsaber down. Rain rolled out of the way, springing back to her feet. Another tremor shook the bridge, flinging the sisters sideward. Rain clung to the balustrade for dear life as the catwalk began to tilt dangerously far to the right. As they continued to bank, her eyes sought out the problem. The lava was eating away at the supports.

But...what about the shields?

Her thoughts dragged her back to the moment when Anakin had smashed her against the control board.

So the alarms were for...oh no.

"Mira! We have to get off this bridge now!"

Mira responded with a quick slash which just barely missed Rain's face.

"Mira, please!"

Her little sister, refusing to hear sense, tried to struggle to her feet. With a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, Rain watched as Mira lost her footing and slid right between the bars, her lightsaber flying from her grip and plummeting into the angry lava below. She managed to catch the railing at the last second, but the terrified scream that she uttered in that moment shook Rain to her very core. She pulled herself toward her little sister, extending a hand through the bars.

"Give me your other hand!" she shouted.

"No!" Mira shrieked, "I don't want your help! I hate you!"

Her words stung Rain, but she would not withdraw her hand.

"I know," she said.

Her little sister turned her face away, but Rain could hear her sobbing. When Mira lifted her head again, the tears were staining her cheeks.

"You abandoned me!" she screamed.

"I know," Rain said, almost choking on her words as tears began to fall from her own eyes.

"You have no idea how I tortured myself wondering what I did wrong! I thought it was my fault!"

"I'm sorry," Rain sobbed, "I regretted it. I regretted it every day. I know I can't undo it, and I know I can never make up for it, but I still love you. I never stopped loving you. So, please, just take my hand."

Mira gazed up at her, the internal battle she was waging showing clearly through her eyes. Then her hand shot up and grasped Rain's. Rain gripped tightly, pulling back as hard as she could. Mira used the railing to help leverage her weight, bracing her feet against it once she was through. Then, without warning, she flung her arms around Rain, squeezing tightly. Rain returned the embrace, feeling as though she were in a dream that she never wanted to end. When Mira pulled away, there was a smile on her face.

"Still sisters?" she asked.

"Still sisters," Rain agreed, "Let's go."